Indeterminate Tomatoes in Containers - Growing Tips

Growing indeterminate tomato varieties in the containers is possible, although you have to keep these tips in mind to enjoy good results.

Choose the containers

First, choose the right containers. They must be at least 15 x 20'' and 5 gallons, but the larger, the better. Why? Indeterminate tomatoes grow up to 8-10 feed and can have the roots up to 6 feet. The more soil you provide, the bigger they can get, and more fruits you can expect.

Porous containers absorb the water, so avoid keeping them outdoors during the winter because they can break when soaked and frozen. Avoid keeping black containers in the full sun, because the soil can heat too much then.

Choose the self watering container, or you will have to irrigate your tomato plants all the time. When the water escapes from the bottom of the container, the soil has to soak it back.

Prepare the containers

Make sure the container has enough drainage holes and put the large saucer underneath it to prevent the water from running all over your patio.

Put a few rocks on the bottom of the container to make it more stable. You don't want it to collapse when your plants have grown tall and there's wind. Use a soil-less, peat based mix combined with compost, as your tomatoes need well drained medium rich in nutrients.

Plant and care for the tomatoes

Plant the seedlings after you strip bottom leaves from them. Apply the mulch on the surface (leaves, bark, etc.) to retain moisture, but make sure it's not touching the stems.

You need a strong support and the cages tend to be too small. Use the tall stakes, as the tomato plants will overgrow the typical ones. Trellis is a practical choice as well.

You can stretch the support between the containers, attach the vines to it and have them growing horizontally. This solution takes more space, but you can reach for the fruits easily.

Prune the suckers so that the plant has no more than four vines. More would be too difficult to handle and the tomato would yield less fruits.

While indeterminate tomatoes in containers grow smaller than in the ground, you can enjoy the great harvest when you follow these tips. Choose determinate types of tomato plants if you wish to use smaller pots. Which variety did you include in your gardening plan this year?